Forest Boy finally identified and admits "I made it all up"

The mystery of the forest boy who arrived in Berlin nine months ago claiming to have spent five years living in the woods has finally been solved with police identifying him as a runaway. It was discovered that he was making it all up.

He is Robin Van Helsum, a 20-year old from Hengelo in the Netherlands who was reported missing by his family last September, just days before he turned up in Berlin with his incredible story.

Berlin police released a photograph of the boy, who called himself only "Ray",   in the hope of finally solving a mystery that made headlines across the world and had confused detectives for months.

School friends contacted Dutch police after recognising him from the photograph and his stepmother was asked to verify it.

"We went to him with the new information this morning and he said: 'OK, you got me – I am Robin and I made the whole story up," Mr Neuendorf said on Friday.

Speaking in English, with a slight accent, Robin told the police: "I don't know who I am, I'm all alone in the world. Please help me."
He also told them that he had been walking five days after burying his dad in a grave after he had fell.

"We can only assume that because he was actually 20 years old and had no criminal record the link wasn't made," said Mr Neuendorf